Hell On Wheels

Fargo #15

by John Benteen

a novel in the Fargo series by John Benteen

Genres: Westerns

192 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Pseudonym used by Ben Haas.

Reviews

[Andrew Sorrentino · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read the graphic novel I helped crowdfund. Great art and layouts. Sound effects inserted nicely into the panels.

[Barbara Lee Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

HELL HAS NO FURY LIKE FARGO

Greed on the railroad lines. Hawk Morrison, railroad superintendent wanted the Cayuga Mines which were producing top grade silver ore. Since Will Whitmore wouldn't sell, Hawk decided to bring in gunslingers and other ruffians to blow up the Cayuga Mines ore cars and by doing this six men were murdered when six mine cars jumped tracks ending up at the bottom of a steep ravine..Hawk Morrison made a deal with his the railroad he works for to try and get the Cayuga Mines to sign with them to transport their ore. Will Whitmore wouldn't own the Mines anymore and Hawk Morrison would achieve his promotion of Vice President. Fargo is hired by Will's daughter Ellen whose is the Vice President of her father's Cayuga Mines, she explained the problems to Fargo and asked him for his help, which eventually agreed to. Fargo has an unlimited source of people who had a lot of juice. Folks dealing with Fargo figure he's a drifter...you know like a "rolling stone who gathers no moss." That's a good assessment of Fargo's life. He lives life to the fullest and if he should catch a bullet tomorrow, such is life. No family or relatives, at least there's no mention of any and he doesn't have any regrets. He forms no attachments with women, even though they want to, he tells them straight up that marriage isn't for him. That type is sedimentary life would kill him faster than a bullet..."HELL on Wheels" gives more insight of Fargo's thinking and how he views people and life. He's a good mind reader, he's very observant notices the least, such as a roach crawling up a wall in a saloon. Small "tells" that people unknowingly use...FARGO🍵🍺

[Tim Deforest · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has the lowest body count of any Fargo novel I've read so far. Gee whiz, Neal Fargo only kills three people before the end! Though, to be fair, he does cripple or severely beat up several others.

Despite having less overt violence than most Fargo novels, it's another strong story. Fargo is hired to help a small railroad that is being sabotaged by a larger competitor. He realizes he can't single-handedly guard miles of track, so he instead decides to take the battle to the bad guys, beginning a sabotage campaign against the big company. He takes care to make sure no one innocent is hurt while blowing up water towers, bridges and spurs.

Along the way, he survives a couple of attempts to kill him and eventually faces off against a fast-draw artist who heads up security for the bad guys. The novel concludes with a desperate hand-to-hand fight against the main bad guy while aboard a train that's racing towards a head-on collision with another train. Though the overall body count is unusually low for a Fargo novel, good storytelling and the intensity of that final fight on the train still make this one another winner in the series.

[Christopher Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another tough gritty manly adventure with Fargo. Benteen writes these really well, and they all fall into a well-worn pattern like wrinkles in your Levis. Fargo gets a job, runs into troublemakers, finds a hot woman, beds her, and proceeds to rip the opposition into tiny pieces and stomp on them. He gets beat up in the process and sometimes seems like he has no chance, but calmly and stoically deals with the issue and moves on.

This time its rail barons, a small mining line vs a big rail line and a corrupt manager. Every one of these books you get what you came for and go away nodding.

[Michael D. Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Railroad Hostility

Greed and dishonest bandit climbing ladder to succeed no matter the cost! Fargo smarter and more deadly than the crooks turns the proverbial tables and WINS! Way to write it Mister Bentsen!

[Jonathan Ammon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am probably reading too many of these in a row. This was a fine Fargo entry, but more of a straightforward western than the previous entries which have mostly been adventure novels or Zapata westerns. Haas/Benteen is competent as ever.

[S.wagenaar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent, as per usual for a Benteen Fargo novel. Not a huge body count, but plenty of two-fisted action of the savage, red-blooded variety. Recommend!

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Broke and on foot after his horse breaks a leg and has to be put down, Fargo jumps aboard a train in Idaho passing under him. He's almost instantly attacked by a hulk working for the rail line. The Continental-Western allows no riders, even paying ones.

Junction Flats is the own buffaloed by the C-W and Hawk Morrison. After Fargo has to take out the local railroad detective, Morrison attempts to ire him. Though broke, Fargo has already taken a dislike to the man and his methods. If this man wants to hire him, then someone else is on another side.

He gets caught up in the C-W's attempts to take over a small rail line running silver ore twice a day from a mine. They get a cut of the profits to the tune of $3,000 a day. Music to Fargo's ears.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second Fargo book I've read, and I think the character of Fargo is great! He has many of the gunslinger tropes, but remains an engaging character to root for as a reader with a bit of a dark side. In this novel, Fargo is hired on to protect the 30-mile Cayuse Mountain Railroad from the larger Continental and Western Railroad, and the dishonest Hawk Morrison that manages the C&W. Ellen, a tall and beautiful woman, also the vice president for the Cayuse Mountain Railroad alongside her father and president Will Whitmore, hires Fargo with a 5,000 dollar retainer. She provides other attentions to him freely.

A very fun adventure story, and a great series following Fargo as a mercenary who gives every foe a fighting chance to survive an encounter with him.